A Feather And A Rose
by magicangirl
Summary: Yusuke is sent on a mission to the demon city of Clow to find it's ruler, but instead he finds a new (and sometimes annoying) teammate.
1. A New Mission

"Yusuke!"

The black haired boy groaned and lifted his head off the table. He was dressed in a green school uniform and black shoes. His hair was slicked back and only a few strands danged on his forehead. He leaned back in his chair and, rubbing his eyes, asked, "What do you want?" He glared insolently at the baby in front of him, who glared right back.  
  
"Stop falling asleep! I'm trying to give you your next mission," the baby, a boy, instructed. He wore a strange-looking hat, bigger than his head, and from the looks of it, his whole body, that bore the Japanese symbol for 'Jr'. and lower down, the word 'Jr.' itself. In his mouth was a blue pacifier. He was clothed in simple clothes, but he emitted an air of command and royalty. "Now—may we continue, or will you grace our presence with your **snores** again?"  
  
"Fine. Do what ya want," the boy, Yusuke, muttered.The baby smiled smugly, then beckoned to a figure in the doorway. A lady jumped at the sign, then with a, "Yes, Master Koenma," hurried in. She had long blue hair which she wore in a ponytail. She wore a pink kimono on her body and sandals on her feet. She positioned herself directly in front of Yusuke. "Your next mission—"she began, "— concerns the city of Clow and it's invaders, demons from the Outlands." She paused, waiting for a reaction.  
  
Her unanswered question was answered by Yusuke raising his eyebrow. "The city of Clow? Demons from the Outlands? Where are these places? And what are they? And—and—what's this got to do with me?! I want answers before you send me off on some wily-nily adventure, Botan."

Botan grinned as if she expected this, then answered, "Fine, fine. First, you should know that there are four worlds: the human world, the demon world, the spirit world, and this last one you may not have heard of: the elemental world. It's a peaceful world, so we don't tell many people of it for fear it will be invaded. It's called the elemental world because it has a city to stand for each element. Each city has a prince or princess that guards their city. We don't have time to go into detail now, but one of the cities, Clow, has been invaded. The normal citizens cannot fight and have fled, but we cannot get the ruler of Clow to leave the city. There are too many demons for one demon to wipe out on it's own. Right now, it's fighting a guerrilla war. Dashing in, killing some demons, then dashing out. Unfortunately, more demons keep coming. So, your mission is to go to Clow, find the ruler, and convince them to leave." Satisfied that she had relayed all the information, Botan stepped aside for Koenma to add some details about the case.

"Ahem. Yes, that's right, Botan. One more thing, Yusuke— the Outland demons are some of the strongest demons in the Demon World. Their leader is a fearsome fighter, and someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley at night. He may be stronger than you, we're not sure, for no one who's seen his true power has lived to tell the tale. So this means that you are not to mess with him. Find the ruler and bring them back, that's all you are to do— is that clear? We would send Kurama or Hiei to accompany you and make sure you don't get into a fight with the Invaders, but it seems they've gone off; Kurama on vacation with his "mother", Hiei somewhere, we can't locate him. And Kuwabara, well, he's just as unreliable as you. Not that it matters, he's on a school trip for the next two weeks." Koenma paused to take a breath, then continued. "A trip that you would be on, had you gotten a C or up on your report card. But of course, Kuwabara's only recently decided to try to do well in school, and that was only because Yukina promised to help him study so he'd pass and he doesn't want to let her down. If only we could motivate you like that." Botan giggled and Koenma sighed. Yusuke glared at them both, then realized something.

"Hang on— if I'm to go in and bring this prince/princess person out without fighting the demons, what will happen to the city? Won't the demons overrun it?"Koenma nodded. "Yes, that is true Yusuke, but there's nothing we can do. Besides, the people were evacuated long before the demons came, so everyone's safe. And you've got to ask yourself— what's more important: a city or people?" Yusuke looked down; the answer was obvious, but still he wondered what would happen to the people of Clow? And what about the ruler? And what would the demons want with the city in the first place? He rested his head in his hands. Life was so much simpler when all he had to worry about was the teacher, Mr. Iwamoto. Something clicked in the back of his mind. '_Oh yeah, that low-life called me some crummy words this morning. When I get back, I'll have to do something about that_,' Yusuke thought to himself. He looked up to see a very annoyed Koenma glaring at him and tapping his foot impatiently. "Now, if we may continue?" Yusuke muttered something under his breath. "Just as I thought. Now, I think I've covered everything, so you're off to Clow!"

"Wha.... now?!" Yusuke protested as his tiny boss raised his hands in the air and chanted something Yusuke couldn't quite make out. The next thing he knew, underneath him there was a swirling vortex consisting of ever-changing colors, all mixed together. It consumed the floor, and since he couldn't stand on air, Yusuke fell into it, landing hard in a sand dune.

With an "ump!", he pulled himself to his feet and looked around. He was in the middle of a huge desert that seemed to go on forever. All he could see was sand, and in minutes he was sick of the beige color. Yusuke surveyed the area, wondering where the heck he was, and if there was anything nearby. There wasn't an answer to either of those questions, there was only sand, as far as the eye could see.

Grudgingly, the detective set off walking, grumbling about his situation under his breath.

Night was descending upon the land, and for all he knew, Yusuke could have been walking in circles. Nothing ever seemed to change since all the sand looked the same. The boy plopped down and lay on his back, looking at the stars. He had no food or water, nothing to sleep on, no changes of clothes.

"Stupid Botan, stupid Koenma," he muttered. "Thanks to those two buffoons, I'm gonna die out here!" He groaned, wondering how he would ever get to sleep.

Suddenly, a voice rang out across the desert. It was a girl's voice, soft and clear. She was singing something... Yusuke strained to make out the words.

Let this memory go  
Let it sail to the heavens  
It'll puncture the clouds  
Leave a mark in the sky

__

Yusuke listened intently to hear the rest of the song, but the girl had stopped singing. "Wonder who that was...," he mused. "I thought Koenma said all the people went away..." He fell asleep, the girl's song still ringing in his head.

The next morning had come, and Yusuke was still hiking across the desert. It was around noon, and the sun was at it's peak. It shone down onto the teenage boy, making him wish he had just a drop of water.

Soon Yusuke's legs were tired and about to give way. '_Of all the ways to die...,_' he thought as his body hit the sand. He closed his eyes, and gradually the wind blew a faint layer of sand over him.

The figure peeked out from behind the city gate. The boy lay there, unmoving. It wondered why he hadn't come in, why he hadn't cried out in joy, or cried for help. '_An illusion,_' it concluded, '_An illusion that the demons put around the city._' It glanced around, then hurried outside. The person knelt next to Yusuke and checked his pulse, making sure that he was still alive. It hoisted him up onto it's back and carried him inside the city, closing the gate behind them.

They placed Yusuke down near the gate with water, food, and a blanket. "That should help," the figure whispered, then dashed off into the night.


	2. Charge!

Yusuke awoke to the uncomfortable taste of sand in his mouth. He sat up and spit it out, then looked around. At first e thought he was still in the desert, but then he realized that there were buildings around him. He looked down. There was sand, but it seemed sturdier. He knelt down and scraped the sand away, revealing stone.

'_I must be in Clow!_', he concluded. '_It must be the elemental city of sand. No wonder it was in a desert._' He was about to walk away from the spot where he had revived, when he noticed three things. A canteen that probably contained water, a haversack that looked full, and a blanket. He picked them up and checked inside the canteen and haversack. Sure enough, they contained water and food.

Yusuke looked around for whoever could have given him this, but there was no one in sight. "Huh," he murmured as he put the canteen and blanket inside the haversack, slung that over his shoulder, and walked off. "Well, thanks!" he called out, then turned and went deeper into the city.

In an alley to the side, the figure was leaning against the wall of a house eating a piece of bread when they heard a boy's voice yell, "Well, thanks!" They paused, scampered to their feet, and peeked out from behind the alley wall. A boy with slicked back black hair wearing a green school uniform was walking away, the haversack they had given him hanging off his shoulder. The person stared for a moment, then nodded, smiled slightly, and waved before disappearing into the shadows.

Not far away from where Yusuke was walking, a trio of tough-looking demons were gathered around a fire. They wielded axes and clubs, and were quite ugly. One was munching on a chunk of meat, another was telling some story, and the third was listening. The third elbowed the first in the ribs, saying, "C'mon Hiroki, you gotta hear this!" Hiroki grunted, swallowed, then replied, "I got better things to do then listen to ole Monco's stories."

Monco, the second demon, growled at the third. "Kinain, if Hiroki don't wanna hear it, he don't hafta." Kinain, the youngest, backed away from Hiroki, who seemed to be the middle aged one. Monco appeared to be the oldest, and didn't seem to like either demons.

Just then, the trio heard footsteps. "A human!" Hiroki exclaimed, getting to his feet, a grin on his face. Kinain got up too, but slipped and fell. Monco raised himself up slowly, then helped Kinain up, sighing, while Hiroki ran off.

Hiroki was hiding behind a fountain when Kinain and Monco caught up. They crouched down beside him, and observed the human. He was a teenager, with black hair. He wore strange green garb, a sort the demons had never seen before. "What do ya think?" Hiroki whispered to Monco. "He doesn't look like he's from Clow."

Monco nodded. "Aye. I think he was sent by the Underworld. Master Keku warned us that they might get involved."

"What should we do, then? He might have strong powers, and could be too much for us!"

"Kinain!" Monco turned to the young demon. "Sneak back to the main camp and tell one of the higher officers about this lad! Try to get word to Master Keku, if you can. Now go!" Kinain nodded, then snuck away, and when he was out of sight, stood up (he had been crawling on his stomach to avoid being spotted), and ran.

"Now, Hiroki." The elder demon turned to Hiroki. "When I say 'go', you and I both will charge the human. If luck's with us, even if he is stronger than us, we'll catch him by surprise and defeat him." Hiroki nodded and drew his club. Monco gritted his teeth and clutched his axe. "Go!"

The two demons sprang out of their cover and charged Yusuke.

Magi: Meep! Sorry it was kinda short, I have homework and can't be on for long.

Noah: Which you should be doing.

Magi: Be quiet, or I'll have something horrible happen to you.

Noah: Yes Mistress. :runs off:

Magi: o0 Weird. Anyway, R&R!


	3. The Mystery Person Revealed

Magi: - Sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy with schoolwork. There's been huge projects and essays… sigh.

Noah: Hmm… you've forgotten to say that you don't own Yu Yu Hakusho in the beginnings of the last two chapters.

Magi: o-0 So I have. Oops! (Though it's obvious I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. If I did, this wouldn't be a fanfic, and instead would be part of the plot. XD)

Noah: Well… we don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. We only own this fanfic.

Magi: Yep!

Yusuke heard them coming. He turned, startled, to see the two demons racing towards him. He took a step back, and moved to the side to avoid Hiroki's club. Monco was coming at him from the other side, however, and raised his axe above the spirit detective's head with a triumphant shout. Yusuke spun around to see the blade of the axe descending upon him.

There wasn't enough time to react. Yusuke just stood there, watching, paralyzed. Hiroki grunted under his breath, "I wanted ta get 'im," but stayed out of the way. In a second, the human would be dead. But that didn't happen.

A blast came out of the darkness and knocked the axe out of Monco's hands. The demon whirled around to see who had fired the blast of aura, but he saw no one. He moved to pick up his axe, but this delay in action had given Yusuke time to get his mind working and move again. The spirit detective ran over and kicked the axe out of the way, so it was just him and Monco, hand-to-hand.

The demon stepped forward, but Yusuke was upon him in a blink of an eye, and punched him hard on the chin. The force knocked Monco backwards and onto the sand-covered stone. He lay there, unmoving, and didn't get up.

Yusuke glanced in Hiroki's direction. He was clutching his club and looking at Monco. "Your friend's not getting up," Yusuke told him. "I know how hard I hit him. Now get outta here now, and I might spare you." But much to Yusuke's surprise, Hiroki looked at Yusuke with a grin on his face, and began to laugh.

"Ha! I must thank you for getting' rid of that ole demon. 'E was too set in 'is ways, and I was gonna kill 'im sooner or later. But you just saved me the trouble." Hiroki smirked, then ran towards Yusuke, his club out in front of him. But Yusuke was grinning, too. He shaped his pointer finger and thumb into the shape of a gun and aimed it at the charging demon. "Spirit Gun!" Yusuke yelled, and a swirl of aura formed at the tip of his finger, then soot off. The blast hit Hiroki in the chest. He stumbled forward, his club dangerously close to Yusuke, then fell down, his eyes glazed over.

Yusuke stepped over him and glanced around. He hadn't forgotten about the blast that had knocked the axe out of Monco's hands. He hadn't fired it, and he wanted to know who had. However, it was dark, and he could barely see two inches in front of him, let alone someone who knows how far away. So he called out, "Hey! Whoever you are, come out now, okay? I just wanna talk and thank you for saving me from getting chopped in half."

There was silence for a minute, then footsteps could be heard. Out of the darkness in front of him, a person was emerging. They wore a cloak, white with a dark purple outline around the edges. Their face and features were covered by shadows, so it was hard to tell whether they were male or female. They walked forward until they were standing a few feet away from Yusuke, then stopped. The two looked at each other for a minute, then the person began to speak.

"So, are you going to thank me for knocking the axe away from that demon? And for dragging you out of the desert and giving you things to help you survive?" The person's voice was of a young man's, calm and relaxed, and with a tone of maturity.

"You were the one?" Yusuke asked, shocked.

"Who else could have?"

"Umm… hey, wait a minute! Koen- I mean, my boss said that the only citizen remaining in Clow was the ruler. Are you the prince?"

The man laughed. "Me, the prince? Heavens, no! I'm just some person who couldn't bear to see the city overrun by demons. They're scum, they are, these demons. Can't wait to get rid of 'em."

"Get rid of 'em?"

"Yep. My goal's to eliminate 'em all."

"The entire army of demons?"

"The entire army."

"Good luck. But do you know who the prince is, or where he is? I'm supposed to find him. My boss told me to."

"And who's your boss?"

"Uhhh…"

"C'mon, out with it! I won't tell."

"Koenma, son of Enma, ruler of the Underworld."

"Ah. And he sent you to find this prince?"

"That's right." Yusuke had at first been wary of the stranger, not sure if he was friend or foe, or if he was stronger than Yusuke himself. But now he began to relax, and resumed his tough guy attitude. He decided that he was hungry, so he sat down and got some food out of the pack. The man watched him for a minute, then sat down also ad began to eat food that he had gotten from somewhere under his cloak.

When they were both done, the man stood up and bowed to Yusuke. "You are an honorable person, and a strong warrior. It was a pleasure to dine with you. Good luck on finding the prince you are searching for." He then turned and began to melt into the darkness.

But Yusuke got to his feet quickly, and ran after the man. He snuck up behind him quietly, and in one quick motion, pulled the cloak's hood down so he could see the man's face. He stepped back, waiting for the man to move. And when the man did turn around, Yusuke got a big shock.

It was a girl's face, slender with slightly tanned skin. She had big green eyes, and short hair that was a sort of blondish-pink color that came to her jawbone. Over her mouth and most of the lower part of her face was a mask. It was shaped in a round triangle, and fit perfectly overtop of her nose and chin. It was black, and had small spaces for breathing. Yusuke thought that it seemed to look like the mask that Karasu, Kurama's opponent in the final match of the Dark Tournament, wore. But he also remembered Botan showing him a mask like this one and saying that these masks were rare, and were designed to change your voice.

'_That must be why her voice was a man's_,' Yusuke realized, then snapped back to reality. The girl had disappeared. "Hey, wait!" he called out. "I'm sorry I pulled your hood down! C'mon, you're strong, and you know your way around; you could help me out here! I don't even know your name!" But there was no answer.

Magi: There! It's sort of short, but I just wanted to get the chapter up. I shall begin working on the fourth chapter soon, and it should be longer.

Noah: And we're sorry the fight scene wasn't that good, Magi can't do fight scenes very well.

Magi: -;; Yep yep. Oh, and whowhenwhatever and Birdy06, thanks for your reviews! People actually liked my story! :is excited:

Noah: Is foolish is more like it, but oh well. Now come on, your mom will ground you from the computer if you don't get off!

Magi: o-0 You're right! Well… this ends the little conversation thing… meep!


End file.
